[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 5, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING CLARA McKINNEY REDDELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 2000

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today to 
recognize an outstanding citizen of the Fourth District of Texas, Clara 
McKinney Reddell. Mrs. Reddell was selected by the Heritage Guild of 
Collin County last year to be the Guest of Honor at ``Celebrate the 
Century'', and she previously was nominated for the Sesquicentennial 
Award at the McKinney Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet.
  Mrs. Reddell is the great-great-granddaughter of Collin McKinney and 
the great-granddaughter of J.B. Wilmeth. Both of these men were 
integral in the development of their community, and Mrs. Reddell has 
dedicated her life to preserving the memories of the pioneers of 
McKinney and Collin County. Not only has she preserved the history of 
her community, she also has strived to keep them at the forefront of 
the community's consciousness. This is evidenced by her authorship of a 
widely circulated pamphlet entitled ``McKinney and Collin County'' 
which chronicles the history of the city, the county, and her namesake. 
Her latest endeavor to keep the history of this area alive is to 
spearhead a campaign to name the new public high school after J.B. 
Wilmeth. Mr. Wilmeth opened the first free school in the county in his 
own home in 1848.
  Mrs. Reddell's contributions to her community have been enormous. In 
1941, Mrs. Reddell became the McKinney Chamber's secretary. She worked 
on numerous projects, including the Veterans Administration Hospital, 
Lavon Dam, and Ashburn General Hospital. In addition to these duties, 
she served as the secretary-treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce 
Managers and Secretary Association of East Texas which spanned 72 
counties. She was also certified for 21 years of study in Chamber of 
Commerce management at East Texas Short Courses for Chamber Managers 
and Secretaries. She also contributed her time and seemingly boundless 
energy to the Heritage Guild. She would perform the laborious tasks of 
sanding, removing tacks, stripping, and staining in order to restore 
furniture and in keeping with her character Mrs. Reddell absorbed the 
material costs of these endeavors.
  In addition to her community service, Mrs. Reddell raised a wonderful 
daughter, now Shirley Ann Reddell Cooper. Mrs. Reddell was married to 
her late husband, Eugene R. Reddell, for eight years before his tragic 
death. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Reddell has devoted a lifetime to her family, 
to her community, and to the preservation of history in Collin County. 
As we adjourn today, let us do so in honor of this great lady, Clara 
McKinney Reddell.

                          ____________________